Surprise
by BaSingTei
Summary: Story of Katara and Aang finding out about their first pregnancy.


**A/N: Something I have been wanting to write for a long time now. Kataang and the discovery of the first pregnancy.**

Katara was busy. She was always busy these days. If she wasn't with Aang flying off to settle some diplomatic dispute, she was going to a nation in his place as an ambassador to prevent war. She had thought that maybe after eight years, the people of the world would come to recognize the need for the change in the world. The war had been too brutal, too scarring. Change was not easy to come by in this new world they were creating together.

She was just arriving at the Avatar's home in Ba Sing Se as the sun was setting. Aang wasn't due to meet her for a few more days, the restlessness still pertinent outside Yu Dao. She closed the door behind her and immediately headed for the bathroom, needing a good long soak. She started the water and undressed, adding some perfumed soap to the water before sinking herself into the depths. She sighed and smiled, the searing water already starting to untie the knots in her back. She leaned forward and turned the water off when it was full, leaning back and closing her eyes.

Her mission had not gone as smoothly as she had wished. She had traveled to the Northern Watertribe and had meetings with Chief Arnook. The goal was to get as many willing men and woman to sail south and help rebuild the Southern Watertribe back to its formal glory, just like before the war over one hundred years ago. At first, the chief was unwilling. It was a power trip from him she had not expected. When she was young he was warm and welcoming despite their sexist traditions. She never expected him to change so much in a few short years, but his heart had become cold and unreceptive. Katara was sure it had something to do with the loss of Yue, but she couldn't prove it. Either way, what was supposed to be an in-an-out job turned into a two week negotiation. It almost fell through at the last minute when the newest waterbending master for the north had told them they were on their own, but the way Arnook gave him a glare made her think he was greatly opposed to anything the young man had to say.

Eventually, Chief Arnook agreed to help rebuild the south and worked together with Katara to hash out a plan, working Hakoda into the plan by messenger hawk. When the letters between Arnook and Hakoda had become more frequent then her meetings with him, she decided to leave, trusting that if anything were to go wrong, her father would surely be able to fix it.

Being the voice of reason was often hard on Katara. Especially when her other half wasn't there to back her up. But she had chosen this life when she fell in love with Aang. She felt that she had a duty to the world too. She was the fixer. She was the glue. And it was a burden sometimes. But when she saw Aang's face, everything was better and everything was worth it. There wasn't anything they couldn't accomplish together, she was sure of that.

All of this and more went through her mind as the water temperature sunk into her bones. She lazily washed herself and her hair, just trying to calm down from the anxiety fieldtrip she had come home from. She wasn't one to be idle though. She was also trying to think of everything she needed to do to prepare for Aang's return and their little reunion. She had to scrub the house, floor to ceiling. She needed to go to the market and get some fresh produce for his favorite dinner and buy the ingredients for him to make his oh-so-delicious fruit pies with extra fluffy fruit filling he used to make with Gyatso as a child.

She sighed and hugged her knees. She missed him so much. His smile, his warmth, that feeling that everything was going to be okay. That feeling of home. He gave her that no matter where she was. She felt hollow without him. She hadn't seen him in a month and it was a terrible feeling.

She sat there thinking for at least an hour, the stars starting to peak out of the sky and the moon casting shadows in her skin and the water, the water had gone lukewarm. She looked at her hand and she was wrinkled. She smiled at the irony, a waterbender pruning from too much water. Katara pulled the drain and stood slowly, stepping out of the tub and bending the majority of the water off of her. She reached for a towel and walked into the kitchen as she wrapped herself. On the wall as she walked in was a calendar. She looked at it and searched the house for a pen, crossing off the last two weeks and a day. She smiled with satisfaction and tied the pen back on the string that hung from the wall. She was about to walk away but something nagged at her to linger. She traced the dates with her fingers and started to count, the hair on the back of her neck standing up. She was a week late. A whole week late. She reached under her towel and felt between her legs, letting her fingers dig a little and pulling them out. She gasped as her fingers glistened with water and nothing else. No blood. No tissue. Just water.

Before she could overreact, she tried to tell herself it was just because of her stressful trip. Stress can cause this. Women can skip it completely out of stress. It happened a few times when she was young, before the end of the war, and few times in recent history. But this didn't settle her stomach. Her mind raced and she was thinking back to the last time her and Aang had made love. She traced the dates and it was the night before he left. Exactly 4 weeks ago. The week after her last period, when she was most fertile. She closed her eyes and held her hand over her stomach. She was scared and excited and anxious and devastated and elated all at the same time. She leaned against the counter and took deep breaths.

They had always been so careful. She had always tried to plan it, but with seeing him so little she had lost track of when they could be together and when they couldn't. But wasn't this exactly what she wanted? She had always wanted to bare Aang's sons and daughters. Since she was a young teen, she knew this is what she wanted. The greatest way to show her love for him. But was now the right time? Was she really even pregnant? She sighed and turned off the light in the kitchen, walking to their bedroom and throwing the towel in the hamper. She slipped her naked body under the sheets and fell asleep quicker than she thought would be possible, though the exhaustion from the trip helped.

X

Another month passed and there was still no period. She hadn't said anything to Aang yet. She wanted to be sure before she told him. He was getting ready to pay their Firelord friend a visit, working out the lasting issues with the new nation, the United Republic. The morning he left he assured her he would be back in a week. No later, he promised. As soon as he was out of sight, she left the house, seeking a second opinion from a healer. It didn't take her long to find one.

She sat in the exam room in just her bindings, laying back on a table when the healer came in.

"Hello, Lady Katara." The young woman smiled and bowed her head before coming closer. "My name is Aluki."

"Hello Aluki." She said softly and the woman came closer.

"I know why you're here, but forgive me… it's hard to imagine the best healer in the world could ever need assistance from someone like me."

"Please, don't belittle yourself. You run this clinic right?" She nodded and blushed. "You are obviously a very good healer and bender to be the best in Ba Sing Se. Please, just help me."

"Very well, then, thank you." She said and came to Katara's side, bending water from a reservoir on the counter. the water glowed with the woman's chi and she hovered over Katara's abdomen, circling a couple timed before sending the water back.

"Well?" Katara asked nervously.

"It's just as you already know my lady. You are with a child."

Katara's hand fell just below her navel, feeling the curvature of the minute bump that had formed on her slim body. "Eight weeks." She said softly and closed her eyes.

"Give or take a few days. But yes. I'll leave you now, but I am happy for you and your husband." She said with a small smile and Katara smiled too.

X

She fussed with everything on the table, playing with her napkin in her lap. She was so nervous. Any minute Aang would walk through that door and he would come and hug her and pick her up and kiss all over her face and tell her how much he missed her and she wouldn't know when to interject to tell him her little surprise. She had no idea how he was going to react. It was such a life changing announcement she wasn't even sure he wouldn't pass out. She looked at the table before her, hot dinner by candle light with a dessert she whipped up herself. It was getting late but he promised he would be home. He even sent a hawk yesterday confirming he would be home today.

As the candles burned down she was starting to think he wasn't going to be home. Just as her doubts started to sink in the front door creaked open.

"Aang!" She yelled and his face came into focus with a smile. She temporarily forgot her worries and stood from her chair, running to him nearly tackling him to the ground. He caught her and spun her around, catching her lips effortlessly after so many years of practice. She hummed against his lips and his smile was etched so deeply, nothing could make him feel down today. His arms came up from her waist to frame her beautiful face and he broke their kiss, looking into her eyes.

"Welcome home." She said and smiled.

"And such a good welcome it is." He said and chuckled. She grabbed his wrist and led him inside, encouraging him to tell her all about his trip over dinner. They laughed, they smiled and were so happy to just be together, it was as if nothing could ruin their night.

After dinner and dessert were gone, he helped her with the dishes and suggested they took a bath together. She smiled and was very acceptable to the idea.

The water felt so good and having him wash her hair was the best. In return she washed the part of his back he could never reach, even with those long airbender arms. Eventually they got out and dressed for bed. Laying on her back and him curled on his side, she remembered what she needed to tell him. She was nervous and her heart sped up as he absentmindedly played with her hair.

"Sweetie, what's wrong? Your heart is going crazy?"

She hated that he could feel that. She took a breath and sat up and he came up with her. He took her hand and looked to her, pleading with those silver eyes that she could never lie to.

"Aang, I have something important to tell you."

"What's wrong?" He asked again.

"Nothing's wrong." She said and it sounded off. She was trying to pick the right words and her silence scared him.

"Katara whatever it is, we'll be okay."

"You promise?"

"Avatar promise."

She couldn't help but smile and she bit her lip. She looked into his eyes and took both of his hands in hers.

"Aang… we're going to be parents."

His eyes darted down to her stomach and back up to hers a few times before smiling.

"Really?"

She nodded and he started laughing.

"You're happy?" She asked and smiled.

"Yes, and terrified and honored and so many other things I can't even name. Oh man." He held his head, still smiling. "A child. We're pregnant. We are going to have a child…" he trailed off and looked down.

"Aang? What's wrong?"

"There's something I didn't tell you at dinner. I have pushed for an Air Temple to be built in the United Republic, in the bay off Republic city."

"Okay, what does that have to do with us right now?"

"This just solidifies the reason for it. We can't raise a child on the back of Appa. He or she deserves a home growing up. And you," He said and kissed her cheek. "You need someone where too."

"Aang, I'm fine with-"

"Don't lie, I know when you are. As much as you love traveling with me and helping me with my Avatar duties, you want a home. A permanent home. And this," he motioned to their house, "doesn't count. This is in the Earth Kingdom, a nation neither of us have a tie to. The south is not ideal for traveling back and forth from and all the current Air temples are being rebuilt and the Acolytes are living there as we speak. The United Republic is perfect. It's where I am needed most nowadays and It's a place where benders of all nations can live in peace together. It's the best place for our home."

"Home." She repeated and laid on her back, her hand drifting over the bump she had. Aang smiled and straddled her legs, lifting up her night gown to look at her stomach. He saw the bump and kissed it a few times. Katara smiled and her hand ran along his shaved head. Out of curiosity he pressed an ear just above her navel. After a moment he came back up and there were tears in the corners of his eyes.

"Aang? What's wrong?"

He shook his head and smiled, wiping the tears from his eyes.

"Nothing I, I can hear it's heart beating." He said and a stray tear rolled down his cheek. He was so overwhelmed with the feeling of sudden and unconditional love it took everything he had not to break down any further. "So little and so strong already." She said softly and Katara opened her arms up for him, holding his head against her chest. He was quiet for a little bit, just letting the reality sink in.

"How long? When did we…?"

"It was the night before you left for Yu Dao."

"Oh, well that explains everything. That was a fun night." He chuckled and leaned up to kiss her lips.

"Mm, one of the best I can remember." She smiled and shifted so she was in his arms. He held her for a while when she asked him something.

"Still think we are going to be okay?"

"Of course. All three of us." He smiled and kissed her lovingly, putting all of her worries to rest.


End file.
